Press release 19.03.2012.  Also on: www.aidoh.dk/Resurrection    

Hans Christian Andersen’s Resurrection March

 

Monday 2. April from 11.00 – 14.30

From Odense Harbour to Flakhaven

You are by this invited to a resurrection of the drowned Hans Christian Andersen sculpture at Easter, on his birthday 2. April 2012. We will hoist him up from the harbour, and after he has been cleaned, we will march – a resurrection march, to Flakhaven (the town hall sq.).

The resurrection march will be cheerful. We are here talking about a resurrection and a birthday, so we will do a march with dancing samba girls in the front with music, celebration and hullabaloo. All is set for an eventful day for the participants and Hans Christian Andersen. Among others we have invited Tina Turner, who has been at his birthday before, but she does not know if she can find the time.

Dress code: On this day everything is allowed – top hats and clothes from the turn of the century, samba- and carnival clothes, swimsuits and polar bear costumes – or just regular clothes, everyone is welcome.

Denmark’s biggest Easter egg Eat Andersen: We invite all the children to participate in this event that ends on Flakhaven, where there will be a giant Easter egg sculpture of Hans Christian Andersen. We know that cannibalism is forbidden, but Hans Christian Andersen is 207 years old, so we think we will be forgiven.

The Easter egg in form of a Hans Christian Andersen sculpture will be hoisted by a crane and dumped on a big blanket in the middle of the square, and thousands of chocolate covered marzipan bars will come out of the chocolate sculpture, which is sponsored by Odense Marzipan Factory. The chocolate covered marzipan bars will be handed out to everyone.

Participate in this event on Facebook on the page ”H.C. Andersen opstandelses-optog”  (http://www.facebook.com/events/277580402310766/ ), which we will update every time a new festive touch has been added to the event.

There has been made a lot of Facebook pages about the Storyteller’s Fountain, among others one where you can support the installation of the Storyteller’s Fountain at Flakhaven. Almost the entire city council, with Mayor Anker Boye and the Town Clerk, are unexpectedly there as supporters! See: Fortællerbrønden/H.C.Andersen/Flakhaven (http://www.Facebook.com/#!/groups/346295298744072/)

Changes and updates of the resurrection program on: www.aidoh.dk/Resurrection                                                                   

Program on the following page

 

Program for the resurrection march                        

 

Monday 2. April 2012: 

11.00: We will meet at the harbour at the drowned Hans Christian Andersen sculpture, where there will be some live resurrection music.

11.15: Hans Christian Andersen will be hoisted from the cold water and cleaned. There will be speeches and cheers for the resurrection, and Galschiot will serve resurrection champagne.

11.45: The march with Hans Christian Andersen, samba girls and other festive things will go from the harbour and through Thomas B. Thrigesgade to Flakhaven.

12.45: The parade will arrive at Flakhaven, where we’ll find Denmark’s biggest Easter egg.

13.00: The Easter egg will be hoisted by a crane and dumped in the middle of Flakhaven, and the chocolate covered marzipan bars will be spread out on the square.

13.15. Children and grown-ups will eat Hans Christian Andersen. Galschiot’s workers will give the sculpture a polishing-up and repair it. We will sing songs, eat sausages, drink wine and beer, and watch the festive elements.

14.30: We will leave Flakhaven. The resurrection is complete.

Tekstboks: Why drown a sculpture in the harbour? Thousands of people participated 8. Oct. 2011 in a funeral march for the 3 meter high Hans Christian Andersen sculpture. Many of the citizens were dressed in black mourning clothes from the turn of the century. When the sculpture reached Odense Harbour it was hoisted 10 meters in the air, and actress Vigga Bro read a fantastic speech. The sculpture sunk into the harbour. After drowning Hans Christian Andersen the citizens had a funeral feast, and then left Hans Christian Andersen alone in water to the neck in the harbour. The Hans Christian Andersen sculpture was originally meant to be a part of The Storyteller’s Fountain, which would be in the centre of Odense, through which there should be story teller tradition. The sculpture should contain an interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s 156 fairytales. All the money for the Storyteller’s Fountain has been there for years, but due to slowness (6 years) by the local authority to find a central site for the sculpture, the financial crisis overtook the project, and the politicians spent the money for the sculpture on other things. As a protest against this, the artist drowned the sculpture. beskåret _MG_6911

 

 

Contact: Jens Galschiot, aidoh@aidoh.dk, Phone: +45 6618  4058, Mobile: +45 4044 7058

Photos and info:

The resurrection: http://www.aidoh.dk/Resurrection

The Storyteller’s Fountain: http://www.aidoh.dk/Storyteller

Hans Christian Andersen’s funeral: http://www.aidoh.dk/Funeral